Who Will Replace Gannett’s Saridakis?

One name that is sure to be in the mix to replace Chris Saridakis as Gannett (NYSE: GCI) chief digital officer is Jack Williams. Williams has been serving as president of Gannett Digital Ventures since early ’08, when he was shifted from his post as president of Gannett Digital in favor of Saridakis, who was president of Gannett’s PointRoll unit. Williams, who has been with the company for more than a decade, most of that on the digital side, is already on Gannett’s management committee, as was Saridakis. Neither Gannett nor Williams has responded to questions about Saridakis’s replacement.

One source close to Gannett said Williams is a natural choice, at least in the interim. While he said Williams isn’t seen as entrepreneurial or as high profile as Saridakis was, Gannett isn’t necessarily looking for those skills now. The digital businesses have been performing well — except for Careerbuilder, largely due to the job market. “What Gannett is probably looking for at this point is someone who can act as a caretaker and maintain those businesses,” the source said. “That’s what Williams has been doing.”

Williams’ stint as president of Gannett Digital started in early 2006. As president of Gannett Digital Ventures, he is responsible for Gannett